merkova, you must have better things to do with your time. it is my guess you are a 17 year old kid with nothing better to do with their time than to try to anger other people. what you dont see is that you are not angering anyone exept yourself. it actually is pretty sad what you are trying to do. please try to find something better to do with your time. pray for peace because well, it is just better than what is going on right now. stop pointing fingers, see past the media and who is at fault and see the innocent families getting killed on both sides. this is not what the world should be like. peace and love to you merkova.(...and if you are not a 17 year kid, then grow up)

I made my first trip to lebanon over Christmas -New Year 2005/6. As the plane tilted into Beirut airport my throat tightened and my heart sighed in relief as I felt I was finally home. My hear aches now as i try and imagine all the beautiful places I visited and imagine the horror that my mind just cannot picture. Please stay hopeful. We are all praying for an end to this madness.

There are no innocent families getting killed in lebanon. These people will kill you if you gave them a nuke. Do you guys really believe that these muslims would like peace. There will be no peace as long as there are crazy muslims.

The Israelis are doing us a favor killing these terrorist families. Let allah sort them out later.

If you want to make a comment about my comment. Please... have atleast a nickname. So that I can respond to you appropriately.

if you would like to vent on someone, I will be happy to be that person, but not on zena's blog. this is not right.all I ask is that you do this somewhere else. it is not fair to her or the people who read her blog for a bit of hope and comfort. I will be happy to talk to you somewhere else.

We're two lebanese girls. We live in america where it is nice and safe. We cry every time we see something bad happening to lebanon on the news channels.We alwas dream about coming to see my fathers town.we pray for everyone in Lebanon,we dont understand why they boming our country.We like what you write we read it every day.Love Nora and Hannah

Your blog was featured in an Indian daily and after reading some of your posts and the pain that this war is causing innocent people, I feel ashamed that we could not do much more to resolve the crisis.

Dear Sena, Last night again Beirut has been bombed.There is no point in us just talking like this . Something concrete has to be done.That can be done by ordinary citizens in AMERICA. They can , if a majority of them so desire and are really bothered. BUT THEY WONT.Right now they are hiding behind a new vocabulary-TERRORISM. Who is a TERRORIST? The only country to use NUCLEAR weapons against HUMANS and later on killed thousands in Vietnam and then destroyed a whole civilization in IRAQ and now out to wipe out LEBANON CALLS ITSELF A LIBERATOR. A group of highly motivated people out to preserve their identity and their Country are conveniently labelled as TERRORISTS. Americans and BUSH have to realise that DEMOCRACY, LIBERTY AND PEACE does not flow out of the latest BOMBS. It only comes out of UNDERSTANDING the AGGRIEVED persons.BEHIND ALL SO CALLED TERRORIST IS A GENUINE ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. Killing them will not get you anywhere. IT requires genuine COMMITTMENT and hardwork.IT REQUIRES THAT YOU SHOULD NOT TAKE SIDES. WAR AGAINST TERROR is the most dangerous term ever coined.It itself is a biased term. It immediately separates humans into US and THEM.The SOLUTION is in INTEGRATION and not in SEPARATION.Those people who feel alinated from the so called WEST have to have their GRIEVANCES HEARD and CONCESSIONS made. WHEN YOU WANT SOMETHING, YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP SOMETHING.WHEN we want PEACE and HAPPINESS, We need to make sure that that people around us are also happy.If AMERICA and ISRAEL want to have a FEARFREE and aPEACEFULL existence, the answer is not WAR ON TERROR but UNDERSTANDING TERROR. If we dont change our thinking, life is going to be a LIVING HELL not only for people in the MIDDLE EAST but also those who feel protected by the SEAS.

Hi Zena, My childhood memories have been flooding my mind. Let me share some with you. My first hamburger I ate in Beirut. My first Pepsi I drank in Beirut. Loved swimming in Long Beach and then eating Fish and Chips for lunch! loved stopping at shtoora on the way from Damascus and having those yummy Labneh sandswhiches! I remember a family reunion one summer in Ajloun. My first camp experience in Dhour el Shwair! My first mille-feuille. So many nice memories. I have not been back ever since we moved to the U.S in the 1971 - but I feel Beirut belongs to so many of us. That's why we feel pain when Beirut feels pain. May the pain and killing stop very soon and may the healing begin tomorrow.

Dear Zena, I read abt ur blog in the papers (here in India) this Sunday, n i so much wanted to be able to bring peace n joy back into ur lives. Prayin for all of u out there in Lebanon. Our hearts go out to u.prayin for u each moment, each day.Wishin things wud stop asap. I cant imagine what u must b goin thru. The joy of bein able to see a new day, the sorrow of seein others who cudnt make it... God be with u, n help u n ur folks thru these difficult times.

Israel destroys Palestinian lives, livelihoods and homes daily, refuses to stop building its illegal settlements and apartheid wall on stolen land, continues to control Gaza while slicing the West Bank into Bantustans, denies Palestinian refugees their right to return, grows produce and sets up industrial zones on stolen Palestinian land, and operates an apartheid, racist system on both sides of the ‘green line’.

Only international pressure can make Israel cease its violations of international law and human rights. As Governments have failed to hold Israel accountable, it is up to people of conscience in civil society worldwide to heed Palestinian calls for protection and justice.

despite the International Court of Justice ruling in 2004 that the Apartheid Wall is illegal, not a single government has acted to impose sanctions, ignoring the ICJ’s call to all states and parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to take immediate action.

The campaign for BDS is part of the worldwide movement of civil society in support of the Palestinian people for national, civil and human rights and has several purposes:

It lets the Palestinian people know that they are not forgotten and the justice of their cause is recognised.

It sends a signal to Israel that if it continues to flout UN resolutions, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Geneva Convention and other international laws, and until it ends its brutal occupation, it will meet with the same response as any other oppressive regime breaching international law.

It enables decisions made in their everyday lives by people outside Israel and Palestine to refresh and reinforce their opposition to Israeli policy.

It exerts moral pressure on the British Government by giving expression to the desire to move towards a more ethical foreign policy.

It provides an excellent way of stimulating public debate, offers a focus for leafleting and discussion, as well as exerting moral and economic pressure on Israel to comply with international legislation and principles of justice.

Apartheid was weakened by a similar international movement of solidarity that succeeded in branding South Africa as a pariah state. Despite obvious differences between these two forms of oppression, this antecedent provides an inspiring model.

‘I've been very deeply distressed in my visit to the Holy Land; it reminded me so much of what happened to us black people in South Africa. I have seen the humiliation of the Palestinians at checkpoints and roadblocks, suffering like us when young white police officers prevented us from moving about.’Archbishop Desmond Tutu

‘Israelis claim they are the elect of God and find a biblical justification for their Zionist exclusivity. This is just like the Afrikaners of apartheid.’Ronnie Kasrils, South Africa’s intelligence minister quoted in Chris McGreal’s special two-part report in The Guardian G2 (06/07.02.06)

EDO MBM have admitted that they profit from selling equipment for the illegal occupation of Palestine and the bombing of Lebanon. Wednesday 9th August is a day to remember the Palestinian victims of EDO MBM.

Brighton-based EDO MBM are a wholly owned subsidiary of EDO Corp, a US-based arms multinational that is currently number 10 on the Forbes 100 list of fastest growing companies.

EDO's military products include bomb racks, release clips and arming mechanisms for warplanes. They have contracts with the UK Ministry of 'Defence' and US arms giant Raytheon relating to the release mechanisms of the Paveway bomb system.

Dear Zena. I hope that on receiving this you are well.I am sure Beirut will be again the Geneve of the Mediterranian.All my support and love.I want to present my complaint because I was insulted in your Blog.The thing happened like this:I read the following message writen by a such Helen MacNaughton

Helen MacNaughton said…..I have contacted my Prime Minister Harper, and other local representives in the Canadian Government. I am horrified at the devestation. It can not be justified on any level. The US thirst for Oil and power and complete support for Israel. We get a full diet on CNN of the US demand for democracy to be spread through out the world, but see only puppet government being set up that only benefit the US.My appologies for my country 5:29 PM

I saw something contradictory in the sentence"The US thirst for Oil and power and complete support for Israel" And to stress this contradition I send the next message:

If the EEUU had thirst for Oil theyhad abandoned Israel to make friends with arabecs. EEUU are more commited with democracy than with oil. Israel is the only democracy in the arab world and the arabecs living in Israel have more rights as citizens than any arab living in an arab country, including those of lebanon who are afraid of Hezbola.Abu YahYa 5:59 PM

And insted of an argument I receibed the next message of despice:

to Abu YahYa said….Dear Abu YahYa,

please finish your high school education before you post here. your writing made me throw up

Since this is a show of disdain towards a human been and contempt for a like, I send this:

I AGREE. I DID NOT HAVE A GOOD EDUCATION BECAUSE MAYBE MY PARENTS WERE NOT RICH AS YOURS. WHAT MAKE YOU THROW UP WAS NOT MY ENGLISH BUT MY LOGIC AND SOMETHING I LEARNED FROM MY PARENTS. TO SAY THE TRUTH.

ABU YAHYA.

Again no argument was given, the insults increased and someone wrote

to f'''g "ABU YAHYA" said…."ABU YAHYA" or what ever your real f''g name is

exactly where were you born and why don't you ask your parents to take you where u belong and stop occupying the palestine (occupied land that you call israel)

u r so full of s***t

And now I am going to satisfy the curiosity of such an ill manered person. I am not israelite. I am where I belong. In a country of Europe where the muslims were chased out many years ago. Austria? Serbia? Italy? France?....Talking about occupation Why the muslims occupied Israel and the north of Africa and did not stay in Arabia?. In Israel there were jewish before muslims.Best regards.Abu Yahya.

Boycott, girlcott, whatever.Would you stop cutting and pasting and post something intelligent that you thought up on your own?Do you have any ability to think independently, or can you guys just support the trendy side?Man, this is like people jumping on a bandwagon supporting a cinderella team in the NCAA championships or something.No matter how look at it, EVERY war has two sides. This one is no different.Would you stop whining "oh, how terrible, how awful, we believe in love, we believe in peace" and think for a moment - how can we achieve peace?Will Israel's stopping it's fire achieve peace?The answer is no, my friends - get real! Iran, Hizballah and Hamas publicly state that they DO NOT EVER WANT PEACE WITH ISRAEL, AS LONG AS ISRAEL EXISTS!Well then, if your country was faced with this bleak outlook, what would you do?Think about it and answer me honestly, please.

p.s.I'm not the same guy who keeps posting profanity and stupid childish comments, just a free thinking individual.

I was thinking to myself the reason about this war.Regardless about all that bull........ about terrorist and right of the Jews to have a their own state.I just keep thinking to myself.The reason ,the reason of this destruction.The answer was so f....... simple.MONEY,money,money , f.......money.You guys in Lebanon were doing so good .Tons of money coming from turism.Well probably someone didnt really like it.God knows who.Israel,Turkey,Egypt,Greece,Syria.You guys had to much turist ,making more money then the others.So............lets bomb the "bastards" and screw up even their sea and environment with oil.So the Lebanon with need thousand of years to recover again.This is the real reason of the war. Not those Jack asses of Hezbollah or the Chosen People of God (Jews).

How symbolic it is, that even in such a little corner of the world like this blog the people are not able to show respect to each other and the person who´s platform this is.Zena asked several times by now not to be political, insulting and abusive. But again and again, more and more some of you cannot stop themselves as turning this blog into what they want it to be, by ignoring Zenas ideas and demands or even criticising her person in a highly desrespecting way. If the readers of this blog, who are obviously rather peace- seeking folks, even are not able to act and react here in a respectfull manner by using the right words and tones and by stepping back from their own interests for a moment to let others ideas unfold: HOW SHALL IT EVER WORK OUT IN THE BIG PICTURE?Some of the behaviour shown by certain commentators in this very personal blog is more frustrating than any report from the news right now. If you want to spread your word, start your own blog. This is not a platform to express your own attitudes but a place where Zena shares her personal experiences and feelings. And she cannot be every- person-in-Lebanon but only herself. Do not accuse her for that.

I hope the right persons are reading this comment and might understand it

I think it's funny that the people actually making war on others (like in Iraq, Lebanon, and Afghanistan) and killing people and destroying their countries' infrastructures still point fingers and call others 'terrorists'! How is it that the American government and the Zionists are doing all the killing, and yet the Muslims are the terrorists?!

Another point: Most people I know are *NOT* against Jews; we are against Zionism, because Zionism is terrorism, whereas Judaism is a peaceful religion. We love and respect Jews and Christians, and realize that the true believers of this religion are against such atrocities. Unfortunately, however, they are not always the ones in power.

Finally, a word about Hizbullah: If it weren't for Hizbullah, Lebanon would have been totally occupied by Israel by now. I think there's a major difference between making war (like Israel) and self-defense (like Hizbullah). And don't pretend you don't know that the killing has always started on the Israeli side, since the occupation of Palestine up until now. You might control the international media, but you don't fool people with your lies.

I respect Nasrollah's bravery in standing up alone for the rights of the Lebanese, despite the cowardice and hypocrisy of so many other powerful governments who are just standing aside watching and waiting for the total demolition of Lebanon.

beirut has always been and will always be our role model..the arab world's dream of freedoom, art, culture, democracy and inspiration....this , in my opinion, is defintely worth fighting for..don't let go...i admire you zena..i have been reading your column for a while now..and i havent been able to express anything in writing.all i can say is keep on hanging on..because lebanon is too precious to let go off...it is the envy of all arab countries...the only place where you can truly be who you really dream to be...lots of love ..from Damascus..

Am I really talking to walls? I am very sure that in the huge www there are blogs that would be suitable for the political and agressive comments that some people are posting here... this one is definately not the place!

Hi Zena,i am from Germany, I lost my mother and father in Law last week in Kafra. I cry every night, i loved them so much and I only hope that I meet them someday in paradise.I wish you and your family peace and no more war

heyIve got a website called www.beirutlove.comin the design section there are some lebanese projects, like this one http://beirutlove.com/Design/Resources/ilovebeirut.jpeg">and pictures in the photo section.Im waiting for things to calm down and for the airport to open to come take more pictures and show support for lebanon.

The more I read the news the more I find about the kind of cruel selfish people your country is facing.

I read an article how this despicable, heartless, criminal (chid killer) Tzipi Livni (born in occupied land by Polish parents) is criticizing Prime Minister of Lebanon Fouad Siniora. I do not want to repeat her cruel comments, I am sure you know what I am talking about. in her Knesset speech.

No man is an island, entire of itselfevery man is a piece of the continent, a part of the mainif a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankindand therefore never send to know for whom the bell tollsit tolls for thee.

Knowing the number of people who read this blog and the comments on it, I am so glad that Zena keeps your comments because you are a reflecting to the rest of the world the reality of what kind of horrible creature you are and how little you are compared to other human beings! keep up your great work...Lina

Several days ago I posted an entry here telling you about MUNDO UNO, a group on Flickr. We are now nearly 4,500 members and continue to grow. Our message is one of peace. We want a ceasefire now.

We want to make a difference. We want to do something to bring awareness to those involved.

Please contact me at waxypoetic at gmail dot com, or leave comment through my personal blog. I know that this may not be such as easy request for you, but I and the rest of MUNDO UNO would really appreciate your assistance.

Who is a terrorist now? , any one who criticizes the policy of Israel is terrorized. See an example below:Frightened by reactionsAuthor Jostein Gaarder is shocked by the backlash after his volatile opinion article in Aftenposten criticizing Israel's recent actions in Lebanon. The piece has fired fierce debate on political, religious and cultural fronts.Author Jostein Gaarder was not prepared for the reaction to his opinion piece blasting recent Israeli policy.

"For the first time in my life I have begun to look over my shoulder," Gaarder said after his article was published in Aftenposten on Saturday.

The article, titled "God's chosen people" has since been compared with Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf".

"The last few days have been tough. The language in the debate has been so hard that I have been frightened," Gaarder, best known for the novel Sophie's World, told newspaper Dagbladet.

"Being compared to "Mein Kampf" and called an anti-Semite was the hardest. That hurt me. My conscience drove me to write a text urging Israel to reconcile - it is far from anti-Semitic," Gaarder said.

But Gaarder's imagery and angles of argumentation have drawn fire from several sectors, even those who may share his intention of constructive criticism. Censure from fellow authors has also followed.

Roy Jacobsen interpreted Gaarder's piece as more of a religious outburst than a realistic political commentary. "This is a defensive war. All nations would do the same if they, like Israel, were attacked by missiles launched from a foreign state by a gangster militia," Jacobsen told newspaper VG.

Novelist Erik Fosnes Hansen criticized Gaarder's foray into religion.

"I don't believe this is wise. He should have stayed away from what Jewish belief. It is irrelevant to the matter. This is not about religion, it is about politics," Hansen told VG.

Other writers support Gaarder's intentions and feel the negative reactions are due to angry digressions from his point.

"I think the reactions to Gaarder's article are absolutely appalling. It is clear that Gaarder is a victim of people not reading the article properly," novelist Unni Lindell told VG.

This is an article from www.aftenposten.no.Updated: 08. august 2006 It can be found at this address: http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1413929.ece

Do you really think the people of America get to have such political power that they can impeach Bush? What everyone is failing to realize is that we don't really have a democracy in the US. It might look like one, but it isn't really. People feel like they have no say in the government. That's why only 42.45% of the population voted in 2004. Check out the links below if you want more info. But just so you know, even though people may be against the war, it's not like there's anything they can do about it. I've written to the two senators of my state, but do you think they'll ever actually read them, let alone act on them? Maybe I'm just cynical, but I don't feel like I live in a democracy, and I would say most of the people my age feel the same way. At least all my friends do.

to YVES .... This war will continue if people like you does not do anything. Remember the "CEDAR REVOLUTION"? It takes blood and guts to save you country. I dont want you to hate anybody. I want you people of lebanon save your country from Israeli destruction.We here in the US and the Israelis are willing to help your government but help will only come if you TRULLY want it. Your government rejected offers of help thats why the lebanese people are suffering.

For example: If terrorist fires rockets from mexico and lands in California, San Diego. Whose responsibilty is it to stop it? Ah .... Mexico ..... You got the point?

to LINA ... Zena understands that this is not communist china. Zena still understand to keep an open forum. Lina. If you don't like my comments please move to china.I always keep an open mind to other peoples comments. Thats why I respond to intelligible blogs.

To Abu Yahya and "Merkova" ( and all other names you hide your ugly face)

You will get no converts here and you will not trash this blog with any more of your spew and we will not dignify you with a response. you read some history and educate yourself instead of wasting your time copying the same BS

"For example: If terrorist fires rockets from mexico and lands in California, San Diego. Whose responsibilty is it to stop it? Ah .... Mexico ..... You got the point?"

For example if terrorists fire rockets from a country, say U.S, and destroys an entire country like Vietnam...or Iraq, who's to be held responsible? Ah...U.S...grasp it? See, you ain't no point, little pussy! You still have a great amount of reading to be done, Hunny. (Maybe some English classes too.) Don't try to be cute with people who really care about things that you'll never be able to understand with your limited capacity. Thanx for your comments, anyway. Carry on, regardless! Make an even bigger fool of yourself.

Merkova, u are self centred person with low E.Q. Hezbollah is not a terrorist organization but IDF is. We in Asia, condemn the aggression of IDF in Lebanon. If u believe what IDF did to Lebanon is O.K than u are not human.

When you get a troll on a site,the best way to get rid of (IT) is to ignore (IT). So, whenever that troll has anything to write, simply ignore (IT), do not answer (IT), because, when you answer (IT), you are feeding (IT). !!!IGNORE, IGNORE, IGNORE!!!

Hi Zena, I am a teacher from Germany and I read about your log in the German weekly "Die Zeit". I have had the chance the see the beautiful countries of Syria, Jordania, Egypt and Israel - though not Lebanon unfortunately . And I was overwhelmed by the people, the culture and traditon of so many centuries. And I have always wondered why peace is so difficult to attain between the Middle Easterns States and people. Thank Go we in Europe have succeeded in overcoming our hatred. I, personally, am shocked and confused about this terrible war, no matter who has started it and/or why. I feel with you people as well as with all innocent people who suffer under the bombs and missiles in times of war. I have published you weblog-address in my own welbloisg (http://drwho-reliblog.blogspot.com/2006/08/world-has-gone-mad-again-war-in-middle.html), so that my students can read about what you people do, think and feel and how you try to cope with this situation. My prayers are with.

Merkova,What a little brain you have. I'm glad that you're comments are there and you're writing more, keep up. I Don't want you to stop at all!! I want more and more people to read your comments because more and more are hating you and your people! You're being compared and labelled as nazis, haven't you heard?? check out few posts up or learn some greek and check out some greek blogs, or come to the UK and hear the word on the street ;-)Please reply back and increase the number of posts that will show you true ugly image.LinaPS: are you technically challenged or what? you don't really have to go to china to be able to delete posts from you blog!

You wrote "Thank God we in Europe have succeeded in overcoming our hatred."

Sorry, but I don't agree with you 100%. Have you heard the remarks of Jan Slota recently? He is overtly threatenning Hungary with military power. Calling the Hungarians an inferior and ugly race coming from Asia. According to him, we, Hungarians are to be eliminated by the superior slavic nations. True, Slovakia as a state, never existed. The current country called Slovakia is basically established in an almost 100% hungarian territory that formerly belonged to Hungary before World War I. Due to one of the most unfair "peace contract" we lost 2/3rd of our country. 5 million of the hungarian nation has forced to live in different countries than mainland Hungary. In most cases they are in minority on their fathers' land and are hated and have been insulted by the "new locals" for 86 years so far. This Slota guy is a legitimate member of a legitimate parliament in Europe and he is making his odd statments day after day without even causing the slightest turmoil in the international "democratic" media. Oops, are you really so sure that we succeeded in overcoming hatred as such in the middle of Europe? We have to reconsider this fact, I guess.

Can you imagine the hysterical reflections and the sing and dance of the socalled democratic and european media if Slota's remarks were aiming at the jewish minority, say, in Germany or in France?It's worth a little contemplation, isn't it?

Ahmed Bouchiki, was an Algerian-born Moroccan citizen working as a waiter in Lillehammer, Norway, was killed by Israeli agents of the Mossad intelligence agency on July 21, 1973, in what is known as the Lillehammer affair.He was shot in front of his pregnant Norwegian wife as they returned from a movie. Six Israelis were arrested for the assassination. Bouchiki had been mistakenly identified by the Mossad as Ali Hassan Salameh, one of the leaders of the Black September, a Palestinian organization, which was responsible for the Munich Massacre. He was being targeted in an ongoing Israeli counterrorism campaign called Operation Wrath of God.Two of the Mossad agents involved in assassinating Bouchiki, Dan Ert and Marianne Gladnikoff, rented cars under their own names. They were arrested when they returned the cars to Oslo airport. Under interrogation, they provided the address of a Mossad safe house and four other agents were arrested. One member of the hit squad was using the identity of Canadian Patricia Roxborough, a legal secretary whose passport had been stolen months earlier from the desk of her Montreal office.In 1996, the Israeli government paid compensation to the Bouchiki family but has never admitted responsibility for the killing. Five of the Mossad agents served short terms in prison and were pardoned. Another of the Mossad agents married her Norwegian lawyer. Salameh was assassinated in Beirut in 1979 in a Mossad car bomb attack.His brother, Chico Bouchikhi is a famous musician, and one of the founders of The Gipsy Kings.http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Bouchiki

Switzerland 1963: Two Mossad agents are arrested in Bern, Switzerland, charged with intimidating family of German scientist who had been offered a job developing missiles for Egypt.Mossad agents caught planting bugs.

London / Rome September/October 1986:Mordechai Vanunu reveals information about Israelinuclear weapons program to London newspaper. Some suspect Robert Maxwell in tipping off Mossad of Vanunu's information.Vanunu lured from London to Rome by new girlfriend, Cheryl Bentov (a Mossad agent).In Rome, Vanunu kidnapped, drugged and smuggled out of Italy on freighter.Taken to Israel, Vanunu spent ten years in solitary convinement. Released in April 21, 2004 and kept under very close surveilance.

London 1987 November:Mossad agent arrested on suspician in the July 22, 1987 London murder of cartoonist Naji Al Ali.Palestinian studying in London, Ismail Suwan, arrested and questioned, found to be Mossad agent.

Thatcher closes Mossad’s London base located in Palace Green, Kensington.

I hope you are safe, we need humans like you, there are so rare. What kind of creatures through bombs on our planet? what do they have in their head or souls ... ?? No matter how much money, bombs or power you have you can't rewrite history !! So sad and shameful of what is happening in our world, yes it's ONE world, OUR world !!

Hi "peace loving Europe", I have already written to Laszo about his comment here he emailed me. I cannot agree more with what you and Monique said. What I meant was the end of the ancient hatred between European Nations after two bloody wars we did start. And may be it is naive of me to hope that some day this will be possible in the Middle East as well.

Unfortunately there are also too many people in every country who will never learn that there there is not ONE BLOOD, ONE RACE and so on, even her in Germany. Violende is nerver the answer. We are human beings and we all deserve mutual respect and decent treatment,no matter where we live, which skin color we have or what faith we adhere to. Of course reality seems to contradict me, but who will change the world but the dreamers. Let us dream and hope.......

Dear Zena, your blog was linked from a BBC article today; that's how I found you. I've been praying for peace for all the suffering people on both sides. Your words, so real and eloquent, renew my resolve to keep hoping and praying and never give in to apathy or despair. May God bless you and keep you! L

Zena - anxiously awaiting your next post.love and peace to you, if you get this far.

to the people who keep posting politics and hate on this blog - this is not the place for it. Zena posts here as a way of letting her friends and world family know that she is ok, that she is scared, that her art is suffering but that her spirit is continuing on. we all have ideas about israel and hezbollah, and it is great to voice those ideas, only do it on your own blog. Zena is living in the midst of war and is unsure how long she will be able to be online to post or read each day. she should not have to sift thru 80 combative comments to see the 20 supportive ones. be kind to this woman who is scared and rightfully so, be respectful - this is her blog not yours.

Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, Shalom!First of all I would like to congratulate you! You, and you alone have managed to unify a country that not so long ago was thorn inside in regards to the painful process of evacuating the Gaza strip.While left and right wing Israelis where fighting over these issues, getting each day a little closer to a civil war, you came along and brought solidarity to the Israeli society.Now, we are all united under one goal; to bring our kidnapped soldiers back home and while we at it, to send you back to hell.And the truth is ya Hassan; you really do owe us your promotion.You probably remember on 12th of February 1992 the missile that sent your former boss Abbas Musawi to his 72 virgins who where waiting for him in havens.Come to think of it ya sahbi, it wasn’t in our best interests to promote you to where you are right now but have no fear, mistakes like that could be fixed without difficulty.

I have to admit, when I see you on your TV interviews, all sweaty and smiling I understand the source of your power.Here you are, a 40-year-old Shiat from a small town in Lebanon (say Hi to Fatima) driving the whole world crazy.

I do admire your “reliability”. You promised the Lebanon people safety, and Zena has never felt safer in her entire life. You promised to return the Lebanon terrorists home, and in return you lost more then 400 of your warriors and 600 citizens. You said that you return all the stolen lends of Lebanon; yet you are about to meet the Israeli army in the Litany River in 2 weeks.Yes, you are a true defender of the Lebanon people. How deep underground you are right now when the Lebanon people are getting bombarded day after day?

Your one big mistake was to really believe in your spider net theory.You believed Israel is getting weaker, and you rolled the dice.You admitted that you didn’t anticipate Israelis reaction to your provoking actions.And you forgot that when Israelis are pot the test, their eyes become red and all they see is blood.

And that’s basically ya habibi, the whole story in a nutshell.We have nowhere to go, and when we get pushed just a little too much, we push back, aggressively. This is a lesson we need to teach our neighbors every 10 years or so. Calling us monkeys and pigs is one thing; endanger our existence, that’s another.So we go on solving our problems with force.Too bad your Hizballa fighters who are not afraid to die (like they have a choice) are not a real match to the Israeli army.

I hope this little thank you letter has helped you to understand better the Israeli society and what you are dealing with here.You are very good with words, but now it is time for your second lesson; the one that comes from above.Have a great day.

Merkova,Don't you have anything better to do with your life? Like for example, maybe instead of posting hate mail on every blog in site, you could take some English grammar courses to improve your language skills. I'm advising you as an English teacher. Your grammar is terrible and you sure can't spell. And if you don't want to take an English course, then maybe you should just simply GET A LIFE!MG

Merkova,Don't you have anything better to do with your life? Like for example, maybe instead of posting hate mail on every blog in site, you could take some English grammar courses to improve your language skills. I'm advising you as an English teacher. Your grammar is terrible and you sure can't spell. And if you don't want to take an English course, then maybe you should just simply GET A LIFE!MG

There is no turning back. It is time to learn a new lesson: We do no longer recognize the state of Israel. We could not recognize the South African apartheid regime, nor did we recognize the Afghan Taliban regime. Then there were many who did not recognize Saddam Hussein's Iraq or the Serbs' ethnic cleansing. We must now get used to the idea: The state of Israel in its current form is history.

We do not believe in the notion of God's chosen people. We laugh at this people's fancies and weep over its misdeeds. To act as God's chosen people is not only stupid and arrogant, but a crime against humanity. We call it racism.

Limits to tolerance

There are limits to our patience, and there are limits to our tolerance. We do not believe in divine promises as justification for occupation and apartheid. We have left the Middle Ages behind. We laugh uneasily at those who still believe that the God of flora, fauna, and galaxies has selected one people in particular as his favorite and given it funny stone tablets, burning bushes, and a license to kill.

We call child murderers 'child murderers' and will never accept that such have a divine or historic mandate excusing their outrages. We say but this: Shame on all apartheid, shame on ethnic cleansing, shame on every terrorist strike against civilians, be it carried out by Hamas, Hizballah, or the state of Israel!

Unscrupulous art of war

We acknowledge and pay heed to Europe's deep responsibility for the plight of the Jews, for the disgraceful harassment, the pogroms, and the Holocaust. It was historically and morally necessary for Jews to get their own home. However, the state of Israel, with its unscrupulous art of war and its disgusting weapons, has massacred its own legitimacy. It has systematically flaunted International Law, international conventions, and countless UN resolutions, and it can no longer expect protection from same. It has carpet bombed the recognition of the world. But fear not! The time of trouble shall soon be over. The state of Israel has seen its Soweto.

We are now at the watershed. There is no turning back. The state of Israel has raped the recognition of the world and shall have no peace until it lays down its arms.

Without defense, without skin

May spirit and word sweep away the apartheid walls of Israel. The state of Israel does not exist. It is now without defense, without skin. May the world therefore have mercy on the civilian population. For it is not civilian individuals at whom our doomsaying is directed.

We wish the people of Israel well, nothing but well, but we reserve the right not to eat Jaffa oranges as long as they taste foul and are poisonous. It was endurable to live some years without the blue grapes of apartheid.

They celebrate their triumphs

We do not believe that Israel mourns forty killed Lebanese children more than it for over three thousand years has lamented forty years in the desert. We note that many Israelis celebrate such triumphs like they once cheered the scourges of the Lord as "fitting punishment" for the people of Egypt. (In that tale, the Lord, God of Israel, appears as an insatiable sadist.) We query whether most Israelis think that one Israeli life is worth more than forty Palestinian or Lebanese lives.

For we have seen pictures of little Israeli girls writing hateful greetings on the bombs to be dropped on the civilian population of Lebanon and Palestine. Little Israeli girls are not cute when they strut with glee at death and torment across the fronts.

The retribution of blood vengeance

We do not recognize the rhetoric of the state of Israel. We do not recognize the spiral of retribution of the blood vengeance with "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." We do not recognize the principle of one or a thousand Arab eyes for one Israeli eye. We do not recognize collective punishment or population-wide diets as political weapons. Two thousand years have passed since a Jewish rabbi criticized the ancient doctrine of "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."

He said: "Do to others as you would have them do to you." We do not recognize a state founded on antihumanistic principles and on the ruins of an archaic national and war religion. Or as Albert Schweitzer expressed it: "Humanitarianism consists in never sacrificing a human being to a purpose."

Compassion and forgiveness

We do not recognize the old Kingdom of David as a model for the 21st century map of the Middle East. The Jewish rabbi claimed two thousand years ago that the Kingdom of God is not a martial restoration of the Kingdom of David, but that the Kingdom of God is within us and among us. The Kingdom of God is compassion and forgiveness.

Two thousand years have passed since the Jewish rabbi disarmed and humanized the old rhetoric of war. Even in his time, the first Zionist terrorists were operating.

Israel does not listen

For two thousand years, we have rehearsed the syllabus of humanism, but Israel does not listen. It was not the Pharisee that helped the man who lay by the wayside, having fallen prey to robbers. It was a Samaritan; today we would say, a Palestinian. For we are human first of all -- then Christian, Muslim, or Jewish. Or as the Jewish rabbi said: "And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?" We do not accept the abduction of soldiers. But nor do we accept the deportation of whole populations or the abduction of legally elected parliamentarians and government ministers.

We recognize the state of Israel of 1948, but not the one of 1967. It is the state of Israel that fails to recognize, respect, or defer to the internationally lawful Israeli state of 1948. Israel wants more; more water and more villages. To obtain this, there are those who want, with God's assistance, a final solution to the Palestinian problem. The Palestinians have so many other countries, certain Israeli politicians have argued; we have only one.

The USA or the world?

Or as the highest protector of the state of Israel puts it: "May God continue to bless America." A little child took note of that. She turned to her mother, saying: "Why does the President always end his speeches with 'God bless America'? Why not, 'God bless the world'?"

Then there was a Norwegian poet who let out this childlike sigh of the heart: "Why doth Humanity so slowly progress?" It was he that wrote so beautifully of the Jew and the Jewess. But he rejected the notion of God's chosen people. He personally liked to call himself a Muhammedan.

Calm and mercy

We do not recognize the state of Israel. Not today, not as of this writing, not in the hour of grief and wrath. If the entire Israeli nation should fall to its own devices and parts of the population have to flee the occupied areas into another diaspora, then we say: May the surroundings stay calm and show them mercy. It is forever a crime without mitigation to lay hand on refugees and stateless people.

Peace and free passage for the evacuating civilian population no longer protected by a state. Fire not at the fugitives! Take not aim at them! They are vulnerable now like snails without shells, vulnerable like slow caravans of Palestinian and Lebanese refugees, defenseless like women and children and the old in Qana, Gaza, Sabra, and Chatilla. Give the Israeli refugees shelter, give them milk and honey!

Let not one Israeli child be deprived of life. Far too many children and civilians have already been murdered.

you are so strong; it is amazing to me that you are willing and able to continue to communicate with us -thank you so much! all of my friends here in new york and in europe are appalled by the situation, and by the united states support, again, for israel. we are so sorry! you are in my thoughts daily zena.

To the friends of Zena and her blogAttention:NEVER click on this “MERKOVA” S NAME he has nothing posted (does NOT have anything to offer), except that you satisfy his malicious intent, and expose your IP

I have never been to Lebanon but have always dreamt about yr wonderful country that I have so many friends from. Just 3 months ago Beirut was on my list for next places to visit. In my mind our countries are one and the same. As a Turk who grew up in London, i am ashamed of the British govt, i am ashamed of Turkey's links with US knowing that at any point we could be next, i ashamed of the people on this blog who use it to preach their views instead of giving u loving support. Zena as yr neighbour, fellow muslim (i assume?) and friend if there is anything u want me to do im here for u. Far far away from all the unnecessary destruction my eyes are full of tears every day the more i read about what people are doing to our world. Stay strong and somehow this will all end.

The news from Lebanon are just breaking my heart... I don't know what to say... I know no words can bring comfort... but my heart and prayers are with you, with Lebanon and all those who are suffering.

May love, light and compassion grow in our hearts always lightening the darkness

Hunny, it has nothing to do with Nasrallah or anyone else from His side. The provocative and 'selfdefensive' : ) war agains Lebanon was invented by some brilliant scolars in your country. You got it right, sweetheart. This war is happening (among others) in order that the opposition in your country don't go further in weakening your ingenious and patriotic government. They succeeded in unifying your nation under one flag again. All that looked liked to be falling apart after Gaza will be unanimous again in some common interest, even if it's nothing more than a fabricated and pathetic cause. Cela tombe a pic avant le nouveau truc a Cisjordanie. Oops, you did it again!

Nasrallah and his group of thugs called Hezbollah are true terrorists. He is responsible for the deaths of the Lebanese citizens in this conflict. He has helped them with his social services to gain their gratitude and loyalty, and then put them dead center in the middle of a war zone.He has used Lebanon and the people within. I cry for Lebanon, like the rest of you. I also cry for Israel. But my tears don't blind me to who is to blame for so much destruction.That blame lies squarely on the shoulders of a very clever, very evil terrorist with the name of Nasrallah.

Re: "you sure have resurrected your grandfather, Hitler":)funny, I am talking about facts, yet you chose to escape reality and use clichésJust like your midget nuclear wannabe friend from Teheran. By the way, your leaders are not telling you the truth. The Hizballa fighters are blown up to pieces by the hundreds.If Lebanon was a democracy, you would have known that by now.It is almost like during the second Iraqi war, when the Iraq secretary of defense was interviewed on TV live from Baghdad, telling the Iraqi people that the coalition forces are not even near Baghdad, and as he talks, in the background of the picture you could see the coalition forces tanks advancing into the city.

Did the July 7 London bombing crack down on Muslim communities who were rising side by side with other citizens looking for the truth and questioning their government for the illegal war in Iraq that was being justified by lies? The bombing diverted attention from internal scandals of the Tony Blair government, including Britain’s plans to go to war with Iraq well before September 11 of 2001.

write your email or phone #, so we do not bother Zena here. we need to talk,

Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all convictions, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand; Surely the Second Coming is at hand. The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert A shape with lion body and the head of a man, A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun, Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds. The darkness drops again; but now I know That twenty centuries of stony sleep Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle, And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

guys, you have taken a site that has been trying to achieve a peaceful forum for the rest of the world to know the feelings of an individual in the heart of war. Zena has never offerred you or anybody the right to change her forum into a fight for political right. she has simply offerred her heart to the world. no direspect intended but please shut up and take it somewhere else! let us hear Zena agian!

Re: "What your men lack is faith and willing to stand for your belief. That is why you and your coward Olmert use 5000 pounds bombs to kill innocent people instead of fighting face to face."Really? again, your government / media / sources are fooling you.As we speak, in a face to face combat with the Israeli army, dozens of Hizballa fighters are killed or captured. off course the Hizballa spokesman's would not admit that.The 5000 pounds bombs are not aimed at civilians, they are aimed at coward Hizballa fighters who are hiding behind human shields of the Lebanon civilians.Even Hizballa POW are admitting they use these methods.

you white, greg, even 'liberal' american maybe? telling everyone else when to shut up? and showing what a great and true heart only you have? And love for Zena and all the world. Ever occur to you that if your arrogant and foolish kind went missing from the face of the earth, we might all be MUCH better off?

Ho, and by the way.At whom exactly are the 400 pounds Hizballa rockets aimed at?Did you know that a 5 years old and a 3 years old have died today from these rockets? Did you know that more than 100 Israeli civilians have died from these harmless missiles?

I think i can not even begin to understand things that are happening out there , I even hesitated to write this note, things are very complex. History , religion , culture , politics all mixed together resulting in human suffering.The basics of all religions involved in the fightings is the same, the God is the same God , and still every party claims to have him on his side,God - if any - cannot be at any side of any of this ..., this is only the result of human failure since thousands of years, wrong decisions for thousands of years, wrong convictions of thruth at all sides, failure of understanding and respecting the values of other cultures, I hope I did not offend anyone with this,I whish you good luck,

I’ve read your blog now, ever since the link was published through a Norwegian newspaper and I don’t know if you will read it or if it will make you feel any better, but I hope it might.

I am sorry, Zena, sorry for your worries and fears and even more sorry to say this. My country makes lots of money on this war. I am so ashamed to admit that the planes carrying the bombs which hit you are probably flying on fuel from our oil fields, laden with bombs made from Norwegian parts. Not that we would ever sell to a country at war or likely to go to war soon, but to sell through some other country… I am sorry. I know that I can not do anything to make you feel any better, nor even half feel the fear that you feel now every day.

I am deeply ashamed for how Norway behave, trying to make peace on the outside, but still being one of the top ten countries in the world when it comes to producing weapons. So thought we see the sufferings of your country and of the Israelis each day, for each day the bombing continues, our “chest of gold” grows ever bigger and we get more money.

But I am sorry, here I am possibly taking up your internet time and with the limited amount of electricity in Beirut these days… I just wish for you to know that I am thinking and praying for your country.

Out of respect for you, I will not attempt to talk back to a few who are here to convert others (although very tempting). I do read news from both sides and I do not need them to regurgitate their version here.

They will get no converts here and they can not trash your blog because they only portray their pitiful and devoid of love heart bursting with hate.

Of the MOSSAD, the Israeli intelligence service, the SAMS officers say: "Wildcard. Ruthless and cunning. Has capability to target U.S. forces and make it look like a Palestinian/Arab act." [Washington Times September 10, 2001]

400 bombs/rockets hit my town in the last month. Over 600 buildings have been hit and 100 completely destroyed!! Once a lovely sea shore city full of life now a ghost city. One month we live in the bomb shelters without seeing the daylight, never knowing who will die next!! The father who went out to bring his daughter some milk? The grandmother who didn't have the strength to go down to the shelter? Or the innocents bystander who went out to buy some food? Well can you guess which town do I speak off?? No we don't have any military target in the city or any military base near by!! So why us?? I will tell you!!!! Just because they can and want to do it.!! Can you stop the Zena???? Or can you tell me which town am I speaking of???

To my American fellows:Israel is NO friend of USA, they just use us and our resources for their evil cause:

“...The ruling by U.S. District clears the way for the trial of two former officials of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobbying organization.The defendants, Steven J. Rosen and Keith Weissman, were indicted last year by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiring to obtain information about Iran and other Middle East nations from Lawrence A. Franklin, then a Pentagon analyst. Franklin pleaded guilty to passing government secrets and in January was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison.”

you can read the whole article

http://www.latimes.com

“By Way of Deception – thou shalt do war”, as their own ex-Mossad agent Victor Ostrovsky said is the official motto of Israel’s Mossad.

Whose passport have you stolen this time. You did not serve enough for your crime.

I am talking about your mission in Norway, Lillehammer 1973 July 21:Your Mossad agents mistakenly kill Ahmed Boushiki,a Moroccan waiter, assuming he was Ali Hassan Salameh, head of PLO security. Most of the Mossad agents involvedwere captured and served about ONLY 22 months in custody.

Anonymous said... Marianne Gladnikoff are you now using "Emil" as your alias.

Whose passport have you stolen this time. You did not serve enough for your crime.

I am talking about your mission in Norway, Lillehammer 1973 July 21:Your Mossad agents mistakenly kill Ahmed Boushiki,a Moroccan waiter, assuming he was Ali Hassan Salameh, head of PLO security. Most of the Mossad agents involvedwere captured and served about ONLY 22 months in custody.

12:06 PM

===================================Sorry to disappoint you, my name really is Emil and not what you think. By the way if you are interested at all mistakes happens and yes an innocent man was killed a fact that any normal person should regret.But do you remember why they where loocking for Salaem? Do you remember what he did?Yes there is no excuse for killing an innocent man but at least they went to jail and Israel paid for her mistake in one way or another, but did your"brothers" paid for "their mistakes"?I would not be surprised if the late Salaem did chose to hide in the same place were lived a man that locked like him hopping that some one will make that mistake???So tell me why do you hide?? Tell us at least your name or are you ashamed?

Emil There are numerous mistakes by the Israeli fascist which we are expected to forget and forgive.

I do not approve of kidnapping. However, do you know why Salaem took hostages? Baby, you need to think and have a longer memory.

Your criminals went to jail for less than 2 years. How long have kept Palestinians incarcerated for asking to have their homes and land that you are occupying?

”Israel paid for her mistake” Money can not replace the father of an unborn child who never got a chance to see her father.

Your preposterous statement: “I would not be surprised if the late Salaem did chose to hide in the same place were lived a man that locked (sic) like him hopping that some one will make that mistake???” is the best explanation I have read!!

Your IQ is sure higher than your friend who wishes you “wiped off the map”. If you wanted to hide among those who look like a Middle Eastern man you would move to a small town in Norway? That is one brilliant idea. I wish you had 500 brain cells instead of your 5000 pound bombs.

I do not hide? And yes you are right, I am ashamed these days; I am ashamed of being an American citizen with a president and a representative (C. Rice) who cheered during massacre of innocent Palestinians and Lebanese people. Or did he just inherit the bad gene from his father who sold weapons to both Iran and Iraq during 8 years war that led to loss of 500000 young men. You need to do some reading darling

I am related to Marianne Gladnikoff who is mentioned on your blog a few times. I have read extensively about her involvement in the Lillehammer murder. I have never spoken to her about it and she has never spoken to me about it.

I only have information like some of contributors and know that she was arrested, convicted and served a period of time in prison.

To the best of my knowledge and my family's knowledge she has not used alias's since, but I cannot verify this 100%. She is now an ill person.

Whilst I can excuse actions if they are criminal by anyone whether they are my family or not, she is an ill person.

My heart goes out to everyone involved in the situation you are in and only hope some form of peace or at worst respect can come from all these tragedies over the years.